Hester Ann Sowden; 80; of
611 Grant St ; Belle Vernon;
died Monday;Feb.6;1978 at 7:45 p.m. in
Presbyterian-University
Hospital; Pittsburgh.
She was born in Scranton on
May 9; 1897; daughter of the
late William H. and Angelina
Stratford Steer; and had lived
in the Belle Vernon area the
past 50 years.
Mrs. Sowden was preceded
In death by her husband;
William Howard Sowden Sr.;
on Jan. 27;1975.
She is survived by one son;
William H. Sowden Jr. of
Hollywood; Fla ; one
daughter; Mrs Norman
(Ruth) Altier of Belle Vernon;
with whom she resided; two
brothers; Thomas Steer of
Monessen and Clifford Steer of
Belle Vernon; one sister; Mrs
Irvin (Margaret) Harris of
McKees Rocks; three grandchildren
and nine great-grandchildren.
Friends will be received at
the Shelby D. Ferguson
Funeral Home; Belle Vernon;
from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday
and from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m.
Wednesday. Services will be held
Thursday at 1 p.m. at the funeral
home with the Rev. Charles K.
Sowden of the First United
Methodist Church;
Fredericktown; officiating.
Interment will be in Belle Vernon
Cemetery. Shelby D. Ferguson is
funeral director In charge.

Frank Raffelo;104;of Jean St.;North Belle Vernon;died Saturday;Dec.23;2000;in Mon Valley Hospital. A son of the late Anthony and Maria Reda Raffelo;he was born Nov.7;1896;in Mendicino;Italy. He had lived most of his life in Belle Vernon and was a member of St.Sebastian Roman Catholic Church. Mr.Raffelo had worked for the American Glass Factory in Belle Vernon ;the Monessen plant of Pittsburgh Steel Co.and retired in 1962 from the Chrysler Company in Detroit. Survivors include a son;Eugene A.Raffelo;with whom he made his home;a granddaughter;Deborah Edwards of Belle Vernon;and two great-grandchildren;Joshua Blasko and Jennifer Kolodychak. In addition to his parents;he was preceded in death by his wife;Eleanor Carroto Raffelo on June 14;1982;a son;Robert R.Raffelo on May 24;1991;two sisters and three brothers. Friends will be received in the FERGUSON FUNERAL HOME INC.;a Golden Rule Member Firm;700 Broad Ave.;Belle Vernon;on Tuesday;from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. A Blessing service will be held in the funeral home on Wednesday at 9:30 a.m.;followed by a Funeral Mass at St.Sebastian Roman Catholic Church at 10 a.m. Interment will follow in Belle Vernon Cemetery.

Marilyn Rusnak;71;of 943 Washington Rd.;Belle Vernon;died Monday;July 24;2000;at 1:30 a.m.in her home. She was born Jan.14;1929;in North Belle Vernon;a daughter of the late Margaret Monks. In addition to her mother;Margaret Monks;she was preceded in death by a brother;Robert Ferguson and a sister;Dorothy Fosdick;and her guardian;J.E.Baldwin. Protestant by faith;she was a lifelong Belle Vernon resident and a homemaker. She is survived by her husband;Michael Rusnak;two daughters;Lynn Sokol and husband;R.J.;of Belle Vernon;and Sharon Rusnak at home;and a sister;Eunice Horton of Lyndhurst;Ohio;and a grandson;Bobby Sokol. Friends will be received in the FERGUSON FUNERAL HOME INC.;a member of the Golden Rule;700 Broad Ave.;Belle Vernon;Tuesday from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m.where a funeral service will be held Wednesday at 10 a.m.with Rev.Richard Klein Jr.of the Rehoboth Presbyterian Church officiating. Interment will follow in Belle Vernon Cemetery.